Sunday, June 30, 2013

Review: Hearts on Hold, by Gracie Macgregor

The Maltese village of Xlendi
offers privacy, anonymity, and the serene life Cate Boyd craves, far from her
former world where she's accused of her husband's murder and she's a well-known
painter. But her peace is shattered when a development company announces its
plans to level her village, and threatens to expose Cate’s secrets if she
stands in its way. Professor Brandon Blackshaw seems too coincidental for
comfort, especially when she discovers that Vena is his research partner. As
the pressure mounts, Cate must decide which is more important: her hard-won
privacy, or the future of her beloved new home.

The author's writing style is poetic and smooth.
Her eye for detail draws the reader right into the setting and place with an
ease rarely shown. Her attention to the history of the region and insight to
human character is quite remarkable. The conflict was solid. But in saying
that, it wasn't until halfway through the book that I felt invested in the
characters. The attraction between the hero and heroine felt forced, and the
romance just didn't seem legit. The mystery elements that slowly unraveled kept
me somewhat intrigued, but in my opinion, didn't conclude realistically. The
plot was just erringly slow too. However, given different characters and a
different storyline, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another of this author's books
for the writing style alone.

Followers

Kelly's Street Team

Redwood Ridge

Cattenach Ranch

Counterbalance

Phantoms

Seasmoke Friends

Covington Cove

The Dysfunctional Test

Exposure

Love Thy Neighbor

Sheer Luck

About Me

Kelly's been known to say that she gets her ideas from everyone and everything around her and there's always a book playing out in her head. No one who knows her bats an eyelash when she talks to herself.

Kelly is a Catherine Award-Winner, Readers Choice Finalist, Holt Medallion Award Finalist, Award of Excellence Finalist, and landed on the 10 Best Reads and Must Read lists from USA TODAY's HEA.

Kelly's interests include: sappy movies, MLB, NFL, driving others insane, and sleeping when she can. She is a closet caffeine junkie and chocoholic, but don't tell anyone. She resides in Wisconsin with her husband, three sons, and her two dogs. Most of her family lives in the Carolinas, so she spends a lot of time there as well.

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